


A Dream is a Soft Place to Land

by lululawrence



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Accidental Boners, Alternate Universe, American AU, Awkward Boners, Childhood Friends, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, New Year's Eve, No Smut, Pining, Sharing a Bed, University Student Harry, both work really, how is platonic bed sharing not a tag, or rather
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 15:53:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13251540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lululawrence/pseuds/lululawrence
Summary: “It’ll be like a perpetual sleepover, Lou,” Harry had said. “It’ll be great.”And it was...except it also meant that Louis’ long time, barely there crush on Harry had only grown into a full fledged, real life version of playing house where Louis all too often found himself pretending he and Harry really were together when they definitely were not.Or the one where Harry might have told his friends that he was dating someone and has to show proof for their party on New Year's Eve. His best friend and roommate Louis is the obvious choice...but things don't exactly go as planned.





	A Dream is a Soft Place to Land

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BriaMaria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriaMaria/gifts), [unintentionalove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unintentionalove/gifts).



> Hiiiiii!!! Sooooo surprise and happy early birthday to my darlings Ashlee and [Bri](http://briannamarguerite.tumblr.com)! I love you both so very much a lot and you're both such sweethearts that I'm so lucky to know. Thank you so much for being the incredible people you are! Bri, I kinda tried to toss all our favorite things into a fic, so I hope it worked and you enjoy it! Ash, I wasn't sure you'd be up for actually reading this, so I just wrote what I wanted and thought I'd put it out there in case you felt like it hehe Thanks for being the supportive and amazing people you are! I hope your birthdays are fabulous!
> 
> This fic was also written as part of an ongoing challenge. We each select random numbers and are given a specific emotion from the book 1000 Feelings For Which There Are No Names. To read the other fics written in this challenge, [click here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/ShortFic_Challenge_For_Which_There_Is_No_Name/works), or you can find the masterpost on tumblr [here](http://lululawrence.tumblr.com/post/159679804243/1000-feelings-for-which-there-are-no-names-prompt).
> 
> My prompt was 654: The satisfaction after wrapping up your work.
> 
> Biggest thanks to my beta [Molly](http://becomeawendybird.tumblr.com) and my brainstorming buddy [Emmu](http://londonfoginacup.tumblr.com). They helped me get this fic done and make it pretty. Yay! Thanks fronds!
> 
> Last but not least, the title for this came from a Sara Bareilles song that I decided would make an awesome title and then I forgot about it. Luckily I told Emmu and starred the message so future me could use it now. Thanks, past self, and thank you Sara for writing that lovely song. I do not own the members of one direction or have any affiliation with them, please don't share this fic with anyone in any way related to them, it is a work of fiction, etc etc etc. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!!

Louis sat in the chair opposite his manager as he waited for her to finish figuring the tip out amounts so he could finally get back home. It was nearly two at this point, the restaurant empty outside of himself and the other closing staff from the kitchen. He preferred it like this, but he also wished he was already home and snuggled in bed. At least Harry was back from visiting their hometown already. That would mean the bed would already be warm and toasty to thaw Louis out from his cold trek home. 

“Okay, here’s the rest of your tip money, Louis, and here’s the claim form to sign.” 

Margot held the clipboard to Louis. He absently filled it out and stood up, stretching his back. They had gotten a late rush that had Louis in the weeds all the way until close and he was paying the price now. 

“Happy New Year,” Louis said through a yawn. “I’ll see ya next week.”

Louis made his way out to the car and was thankful it had only just started snowing. He had forgotten to replace the snow scraper Harry had “borrowed” and not returned. 

As Louis sat and waited for the car to warm up, he leaned back and closed his eyes. He was done with both jobs for a few days. He would miss the tips he could earn from both the bakery as well as he restaurant, but it was worth it to finally get a few days break. 

Louis had graduated from college with an English teaching degree a year and a half ago, but had yet to find a position. He’d searched everywhere within an hour and a half of where he’d attended school in Columbus as well as anything even remotely close to where he’d grown up in Tennessee and there was nothing available. At least, not to him. 

Because of that he had decided to stay in Columbus working the same serving job he had all through school and added a second job to increase his income. School loans were already calling to be paid, so he had to do something. He’d also been kicked out of the income based school dorms, but when Harry, his best friend from childhood, had found that Louis couldn’t afford a place on his own, he offered to move out of the dorms with him and into a shitty one bedroom near campus. 

Even so, money was tight for both of them and they couldn’t pay for their own bedrooms or the room to fit two beds, so they agreed to share. 

“It’ll be like a perpetual sleepover, Lou,” Harry had said. “It’ll be great.”

And it was...except it also meant that Louis’ long time, barely there crush on Harry had only grown into a full fledged, real life version of playing house where Louis all too often found himself pretending he and Harry really were together when they definitely were not. 

The car finally was warm enough to drive, so Louis carefully made his way back home on the already slick roads. Louis shuddered every time the windshield wipers squeaked across the glass, but he needed to see, so he did his best to deal with it.

Louis parked and ran into the building, grateful Harry had left the entryway light on for him. Once his layers had been removed, Louis tip-toed into the bedroom and stripped off his disgusting uniform. It smelled mostly of tortilla soup that had spilled down his leg over five hours earlier, and despite the fact Louis just wanted to hop right into bed, he knew he shouldn’t or the blankets would forever smell of cheesy soup and fries.

A quick hot shower removed the feeling of salt and grease that had layered his skin and made Louis feel human again. Once he was dried off, he put on a clean pair of underwear, a thick pair of sweatpants, and slipped into bed.

“Hey, Lou,” Harry mumbled, making room for Louis before turning over to snuggle up to him. “How was work?”

“God, Harry, it’s almost three,” Louis said as he settled in and looped his arm over Harry’s waist like he always did. Just another reason why it was so easy to forget they weren’t really dating. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

“I never sleep as well when you aren’t here,” Harry said with a yawn. “Plus I wanted to see you since I just got back. I’ve missed you.”

Louis smiled and let the warmth fill his chest. Louis loved how open Harry was about things like that. When so many other guys would push away their feelings, or just not acknowledge them, Harry pushed right ahead and shared what he was feeling with others.

“Missed you, too,” Louis admitted. “Let’s get some sleep now, though. We can catch up in the morning.”

“No, wait,” Harry said as he struggled to pull away from Louis’ warmth. Even in the dark of the room, Louis could see him slowly blinking his eyes open. “I have to ask you a big favor.”

“Okaaayyyy,” Louis drew out. “You’re always asking me for favors and I never say no. Why would this be any different?”

“Because the favor I have to ask you for is very different.” Harry bit his lip and continued to blink as he steadily woke up more. “I might have told a lie to get some friends off my back a few months ago and now they’re finally calling my bluff, but I don’t want them to realize I was lying about this specific thing and I just…”

“Oh, spit it out, Curly,” Louis said as he yawned. Nine in the morning was a long time ago, now, and he was definitely feeling it. “If you keep going this slow I’m gonna fall asleep before you get to the end.”

“I told Logan I was dating someone a few months back and have been making up excuses that usually were the reason why  _ you _ weren’t able to join us and he eventually guessed you were my boyfriend and that was why we share a bed and all that so now he’s kinda expecting you to be at the New Year’s Eve party tomorrow night and I didn’t have an excuse since you aren’t working and I’m so sorry I should have told you earlier.”

Louis laughed. “That’s the fastest I’ve ever heard you talk before.”

“Oh my God,” Harry said as he swatted at Louis’ shoulder. “Is that all you got from what I said? Do I have to repeat myself?”

“No, you don’t have to repeat yourself. I’d fear for your life because I’m pretty sure you said that entire thing without taking a breath.” Louis smiled and snuggled up to Harry. “I’m going to be asking more questions in the morning, but yeah. Sure. I’ll be your boyfriend for tomorrow night. But don’t I already know these friends?”

“Kinda,” Harry said as he relaxed back into the bed and began to thread his fingers through Louis’ hair. Louis usually played with Harry’s hair, since Harry was the one with the long, curly locks, but Louis secretly loved it when Harry returned the favor. “You’ve met Logan in passing. He’s acquaintances with Niall and Liam, but otherwise our friend group is pretty different from what it was when you were still a big part of it. Most everyone else has already graduated and moved away.”

Louis hummed, his thoughts already fuzzy around the edges as sleep pulled him away from reality. “Sleep now.”

“Yeah, alright. Goodnight, Lou.”

“G’night, H.”

 

*~~***~~*

 

“One more time, please,” Louis called as he did his hair in the bathroom. “When did we start dating?”

“Well, that’s the weird part,” Harry said. “Logan seems to be under the impression that we were dating before we ever moved in together, but he does know I had that short time of dating Krista just over a year ago, so that doesn’t make sense, but whatever.”

Louis blinked as he made sure his fringe looked exactly how he wanted. “So...we don’t actually have an official story? Do we need one?”

“I don’t think so. We can just elaborate on the truth for the most part and say we’ve been friends since forever and over the past year or so it’s turned to something more.”

Louis rolled his eyes. He wished that was how it had been. “You just couldn’t ignore the pull of my sexy body and fantastic ass anymore, I guess.”

Harry sounded like he choked a little bit before coughing out, “Yeah, exactly.”

Louis walked back into the bedroom and had to pause in the doorway. Harry was pulling out the big guns. He was wearing a mostly sheer shirt that was embroidered with flowers and showed off every damn tattoo he had. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he was wearing the tightest jeans he owned, and Louis hated being around him when he was like this. It was always the hardest to keep himself in check.

Then again, Louis was supposed to be his boyfriend tonight, so maybe he could get away with not truly keeping himself completely under control. God, this was going to be a disaster.

“Hey, you look great, Lou.”

Louis made his eyes raise up to Harry’s and gave a hopefully convincing smile as he pulled himself together. “Why thank you. You look horrible, yourself. I can’t believe I have to go out in public with you.”

Harry rolled his eyes and flipped Louis off. “I hate you. I need a new best friend and fake boyfriend.”

“I think it’s a little too late for that now,” Louis shot back as he found the fancy loafers he wanted to wear tonight. If he was going to impress Harry’s friends, he wanted to do it right. “You gonna be okay only staying for an hour or so?”

“Yeah,” Harry assured as he grabbed his wallet and phone. “I don’t want to make you go through the awkwardness of midnight in front of everyone. You’re doing enough for me as it is.”

Louis focused on his shoes. Thank fuck Harry wasn’t going to make him stay for midnight. Louis wasn’t sure he’d survive a kiss with Harry, or the fact that he would never get to kiss him ever again after that. At least for now Louis didn’t really know what he was missing. That would all change if they kissed in the New Year and then Louis would really be damned.

“Ready to go?” Harry asked as he wrapped a second scarf around his neck. He was so damn adorable all the time, even with layers and layers of winter clothing. How was that fair?

“Yep. Let’s go show your friends what an awesome couple we are.”

 

*~~***~~*

 

“Lewis!” Niall shouted as soon as Harry and Louis entered the kitchen. “You finally got him tied down, eh?”

Louis looked at Niall in confusion. “What?”

Niall rolled his eyes and pulled him in for a hug. “Harry, dude. You two have been making eyes at each other for as long as I’ve known you. You guys finally figured your shit out!”

Louis blinked, a bit lost. They’ve never made eyes at each other. They looked at each other the same way they had since they were kids. Harry was Harry and Louis was Louis and they were better together, but nothing more ever happened. If it helped the facade, then Louis couldn’t complain he supposed.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Louis said with a bit of a smile. Harry reached out and grabbed Louis’ hand. They hadn’t held hands since they were kids, but their hands fit together even better now than they ever did then. It wasn’t fair.

“We’ll I’ll see you around!” Niall shouted as he left the kitchen so Harry and Louis could get their own drinks.

The thing was, though, that Niall lied. Niall was one of three people Louis knew outside of Harry, and they didn’t see him for the rest of the night. Where he’d gone off to, Louis had no idea, but Harry was clearly having the time of his life. He escorted Louis through the crowds, chatting with anyone and everyone they ran into, always being sure to introduce Louis before then inquiring into something important in that person’s life. 

The hour Louis had been promised the party would be kept to passed quickly, and soon it was nearing eleven. 

“Oh, God. I’m sorry, Louis! Let’s get back home like I said so we can still watch the ball drop.”

Louis looked around the party and saw how many more people they still hadn’t talked to, and he knew Harry would feel awful for not being able to speak to everyone he wanted to.

“Listen,” Louis said, turning to Harry. “What if we stay a little longer. I’m actually enjoying myself and I know you don’t want to leave just yet.”

Harry’s eyes brightened despite the fact he was trying to keep his face neutral. Louis knew that the decision had already been made, but Harry would feel a little guilty.

“Don’t even fight me,” Louis said with a laugh. “Refill my drink and keep showing me around like the trophy boyfriend I am.”

Harry leaned in and gave Louis a kiss on the cheek before grabbing his drink. “Your wish is my command.”

“Fuck off, Styles!” Louis called after him, and if he listened hard enough he could hear Harry’s loud cackle in response.

“Is that really how you talk to your boyfriend?” a voice asked from behind Louis. 

Louis turned and was surprised to find Logan standing there, looking at him like he couldn’t believe Louis had done that. They had met in passing, but Louis always remembered a face.

“I mean, if he wanted me to speak to him differently he probably should have told me he took issue with it back in middle school,” Louis said. 

Logan had always rubbed him the wrong way, which was part of the reason Louis didn’t worry so much about missing out on most of the get togethers that Harry went to with him. He always looked at Louis like he was judging him and Louis wasn’t quite living up to how he thought he should be. Just like right now.

“I just don’t think-”

“Don’t think what?” Harry interrupted as he placed the red solo cup back into Louis’ hand. It was the perfect mixture of Jack and Coke, and Louis wanted to praise Harry for both his timing and his knowledge of how Louis preferred his drinks.

“Logan took issue with how I spoke to you,” Louis said before taking another sip. “This is perfect, babe. Thank you.”

Harry gave Louis a smile before looking at Logan. “What did he say that bothered you? I’m a bit confused.”

“He just…” Logan blinked and shook his head. “Nevermind. I’m just going to go and check on the drink levels. Glad both of you could make it.”

Louis held up his cup in farewell before rolling his eyes at Harry.

“I know he’s your friend, but I fucking hate that guy,” Louis said. 

Harry sighed and took a drink from his own cup before looking out at the crowd. “I know, Lou. That’s honestly most of the reason I felt bad for roping you into this whole thing. Oh, look! It’s Steve and Bebe!”

Logan was quickly forgotten as Harry continued to lead Louis around the room. They finally made their way to Steve, Bebe was long gone by the time they made it to their destination, right as the countdown started for the New Year.

“Ten! Nine! Eight!” the crowd called, and Louis turned to Harry, only just realizing what this meant.

“Oh shit,” Harry whispered, but Louis was close enough to feel his breath on his cheek. He couldn’t help but shiver in response.

“Seven! Six! Five!”

Louis looked down to Harry’s plush lips, the lips he’d dreamt of ever since before he realized he even liked boys, and then back up to Harry’s green eyes. They were wide and pleading with Louis to go with it.

“Four! Three! Two!”

Louis took a deep breath and nodded, just as the crowd yelled “One! Happy New Year!” and then Louis leaned into the kiss he knew would be the dividing point for his life. Before Kissing Harry, and After Kissing Harry.

Harry wrapped his arms around Louis’ shoulders, and Louis placed his free hand on Harry’s hip before leaning into his soft lips, and it was then he knew. He was absolutely not going to survive this.

The kiss brought back memories of back yard sleepovers and campfires at scout camp. The smiles they gave each other when they got away with something they shouldn’t have done and when they were proud of what the other had accomplished. The warm nights they shared in their bed at home and all the nights before that brought them to where they were now, all over the course of a few seconds in the most chaste and yet the most loaded kiss Louis had ever experienced in his entire life.

And then, it was over. Louis was forever changed.

Louis was forever changed, and that meant he had to stop playing it safe and get completely wasted. It was the only way he was ever going to get through the rest of this night, much less the rest of his life. Shit, why had he agreed to this?

That kiss was so simple, nothing fancy or dirty or anything, and yet it was everything for Louis. 

And  _ that _ was why he started pouring himself drinks that were more Jack than Coke.

“Lou,” Harry whined, and Louis realized Harry seemed to be following him, drink for drink. “Dance with me, Lou.”

Louis rolled his eyes and did his best to place his partly full cup on the bookshelf behind him. He thought he got it, but he might have knocked something over. Hopefully it wasn’t anything nice.

“Oh, fine. Lead the way, Styles.”

Harry grinned and took Louis’ hand before guiding him to the makeshift dance floor that had started up at some point after midnight. Louis wasn’t sure exactly when, but he also wasn’t sure what time it was now. All he knew was that he was fuzzy and light and happy and Harry was starting to grind up on him. Fuck.

Louis placed his hands on Harry’s hips, as any good boyfriend would, and allowed Harry to lead the way. For the most part his movements were kept at least a small distance away from Louis, which was good, but those small brushes of his perfect little ass that happened from time to time were more than enough to get Louis a decent semi.

Louis’ mind began to fly into a panic. On the one hand, this situation was everything Louis had ever wanted. Give him a chance to have Harry close, dancing together in a mostly dark room, just the right amount of alcohol flowing through his veins. It was glorious. It was perfection. 

It was torture.

Of course it was. It was everything Louis wanted, but not really. Not underneath the lies Harry had told his friends that had led to this night in the first place. 

Oh God. All of this was a lie, and yet Louis was still out here sporting a semi and Harry was about to grind his ass up on it enough to finally realize exactly what he was doing to his best friend, and then where would Louis be? With a freaked out friend and awkward living situation that Harry would of  _ course _ have them continue living in, because that’s Harry. Constantly trying to show Louis everything was okay and normal when it  _ obviously _ wouldn’t be, because Louis got a fucking boner simply from dancing with Harry innocently at a New Year’s party.

Louis had to leave and he had to leave now before the situation became irreparable. 

Right then, Harry decided to grind up with purpose, so Louis awkwardly pulled back as fast as he could and moved his hands from Harry’s hips. Harry turned, face scrunched in confusion at Louis moving away from him

“Hey,” Louis shouted. “I’m not feeling so great. Think the alcohol caught up with me. I’m gonna head home.”

Harry leaned forward and spoke carefully in Louis’ ear. “You gonna be alright? Want me to come home with you?”

Louis’ eyes widened in shock. No he absolutely did not want that. He needed the time alone to decompress from the overwhelming situation this had become so he could be back to his normal self when Harry got back.

“No!” Louis said, perhaps a bit too emphatically, because Harry’s eyebrows rose to near his hairline. Rushing to correct himself, Louis tried again. “No, it’s okay. The whole reason I stayed this long was I wanted you to have fun with your friends. Stay as long as you like and I’ll see you at home, yeah?”

Harry nodded. “I shouldn’t be too much longer. Be careful, Lou.”

Louis held up his phone where he already had the Uber app pulled up. “Thanks, H. I’ll see you soon.” 

Harry leaned in for a soft kiss on Louis’ cheek, and Louis’ heart began to beat just a little bit faster. Shit, this was starting to feel too real. Without saying another word, Louis forced his way through the crowd and the Uber got to the house only a minute or two after Louis had finally tracked down his coat.

Louis settled into the back seat beside the other passengers and let his head fall back. He would allow himself one replay of the night’s events and then he would have to find a way to erase them from his memory. It was for his own good. 

 

*~~***~~*

 

Louis was finally relaxing in bed and starting to drift off when he heard the front door squeak open and slam shut. Harry never did seem to be able to remember how loud it was closing when he was even slightly tipsy. 

Instead of rolling over and watching Harry come in like he usually did, Louis decided to stay exactly as he was, curled up on his side, hands under the pillow as he faced Harry’s side of the bed. Maybe if Harry thought he was asleep they could ignore everything that happened tonight and pretend it never happened.

Harry had apparently sobered up since Louis last saw him, because he only tripped once when it sounded like he was removing his jeans. Harry padded to the bathroom for his nightly routine and Louis focused on breathing normally. Knowing how well they knew each other, awake  _ and _ asleep, that would be the detail that gave him away to Harry.

A few minutes later Harry returned and turned off all the lights before climbing into bed. He snuggled up to Louis, like they did every night, but then Harry began to whisper.

“Lou?” he asked quietly. When Louis didn’t respond, Harry checked once more. “Are you awake?”

Louis had to focus incredibly hard to make sure his face didn’t twitch even a little bit, because he wanted to smile so bad. Harry was just too fucking adorable.

“Okay good. I just wanted to tell you that that kiss? At midnight?” Harry took a deep breath in before letting his minty warm breath blow across Louis’ face with the exhale. “It was...well, it was everything I ever thought it could be.”

“Wait, what?” Louis asked, his eyebrows furrowing even as he squinted his eyes closed even tighter as he tried to process this information, but it was then he realized. He was meant to still be asleep. But how could he keep pretending when Harry was going around admitting something as monumental as the fact he had  _ thought about kissing Louis? _

“Holy shit!” Harry cried as he physically jolted away from Louis. 

Louis’ eyes flew open and he watched as Harry sat up and turned on his bedside lamp. 

“You were awake that whole time? Why didn’t you say anything? Oh fuck,” Harry whined. “Oh fuck, you heard it all.” Harry covered his face with his hands and shook his head as he continued mumbling.

Louis sat up and turned so he could comfortably sit and wrap his arms around Harry.

“Harry,” Louis said soothingly. Harry still had his face covered, but he was leaning into Louis’ embrace, so that had to be a good sign. “Please look at me, babe.”

“I don’t want to,” Harry said, more clear than anything else he’d been saying since he’d tried to hide his face away.

“Oh my God. Are you seriously doing this again like you did whenever you got in trouble as a kid?”

“Fuck off. Most of the time I was only in trouble because of you,” Harry shot back.

Louis snorted. “You can say that as much as you want, but you know you were the one coming up with half the pranks.”

That finally got Harry’s hands to come down. “More than half! You were just the one who helped develop my plans.”

“There he is,” Louis said gently. 

Harry rolled his eyes. “Why did you lie and let me think you were asleep?” he asked quietly. “I never would have ever told you that if I knew you were awake.”

Louis did his best to ignore that Harry couldn’t make eye contact with him again in his embarrassment. 

“Because I was afraid,” Louis admitted.

Harry’s eyes darted back to Louis’, and Louis gave him a shrug.

“I don’t know about you,” Louis said slowly as he reached his hand to stroke Harry’s hair gently, “but I’ve kind of been pretending we were dating for quite some time now. I just didn’t tell anyone about it.”

“You have?” Harry asked.

Louis nodded. “And I agree. The kiss tonight was amazing except for one thing.”

Two little creases appeared between Harry’s brows and Louis, for the first time in as long as he could remember, finally allowed himself to reach out and smooth them down.

“What wasn’t amazing about it?” Harry asked.

“It was too short,” Louis said with a smirk. “But if you don’t mind, I thought we could work on that a little. Right now, if you aren’t against such things.”

Harry studied Louis’ face for a minute as he stayed silent. “You aren’t drunk right now, right? Like, you’re going to wake up in the morning and remember all of this? It isn’t a dream or because you’re under the influence or anything like that?”

Louis checked the time. He’d had his last drink over two hours ago and he had been sure to drink plenty of water before climbing in bed. His buzz was definitely a thing of the past. 

“Not drunk. I’ll remember everything.”

Harry nodded. “And this isn’t a fling or a one night thing for you, right? Cause Lou, I just…” Harry shook his head. “I couldn’t handle that. You’re kind of all or nothing for me, I think.”

Louis couldn’t help but chuckle. “Well, I guess we’re all in, then, boyfriend.”

Harry sat up straight, eyes wide. “Boyfriend? Really?”

Louis shook his head, smiling wide, as he leaned in. He stopped, his lips hovering just above Harry’s, as he said, “What else would I mean by ‘all in’?”

Harry finally got his head out of his ass and tilted his chin up to close the small distance between them, and the second kiss was just the same as the first. Visions of Harry opening his first birthday present from Louis as a kid blurred into the way Harry had smiled at Louis last week when Louis had brought home an extra banana cream pie from the restaurant. The joint family vacations that always resulted in Harry sunburned and Louis getting a full tan in thirty minutes. Their confessions that they weren’t sure they liked girls as much as they were supposed to. Their entire joint history was flying through Louis’ head in no particular order, and all Louis felt was peace. Peace and the sort of deep, lasting happiness he never thought he’d be able to have for himself.

Harry finally pulled back and leaned his head against Louis’. Louis opened his eyes, but found Harry’s still closed, a look of concentration on his face.

“Lou?”

“Hm?”

Louis continued to study him, the incredible man that Louis had loved for years and hoped to have the privilege of loving more fully now.

“I love you. Like, I know we always say that, and I meant it, but I mean I’m  _ in _ love with you.”

Louis’ heart was lodged in his throat. Just when he thought there was no possible way he could be any more happy, Harry managed to lift him higher. 

“I love you like I’m in love with you too,” Louis whispered. 

Harry opened his eyes again, smile the brightest Louis could ever remember. That was saying something, because Louis was about ninety-nine percent sure he had catalogued every smile Harry had ever bestowed him with.

“Good.” Harry took a deep breath, leaned in for another kiss, and then laid down. “Now let’s sleep. We can tell family in the morning.”

Louis chuckled, but didn’t fight him. He flipped off the light and then snuggled up next to Harry. 

“Happy New Year, Harry.”

“Mmm,” Harry hummed. “The happiest New Year.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it! If you did, please be generous with kudos and kind comments, and I'll also love you for ever if you help spread the word about this on tumblr by reblogging the fic post, found [here](http://lululawrence.tumblr.com/post/169266992823/a-dream-is-a-soft-place-to-land-by-lululawrence).
> 
> Interested in helping support charities with fanfic? If you are, I could write a fic for you! Check out the info [here on Tumblr](https://1dfanworksforcharity.tumblr.com/post/174494969280/1d-fanworks-for-charity-auctions-for-lululawrence).


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